Improvement in railroad station-indicators



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEANDER ELLSWORTH SMITH, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD STATION-INDICATORS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,274, dated January 28, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEANDER ELLswoRTH SMITH, of the city and county of New Haven, State' of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Station-Indicators to be placed in railroad-cars to be operated by the brakeman or conductor in such a manner as to indicate to the passengers the next station at which the train will stop, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention consists in inclosing within a suitable box two rollers or cylinders and winding on one of the rollers a band of cloth, upon which, in their proper order, is printed the names of all the stations at which the train will stop, the inner end of the cloth being attached to the roller on which the cloth is wound and the other end attached to the other roller. The rollers are so constructed that they can be made to revolve and wind the cloth off from one and onto the other, thereby bringing the naine of the station toward which the train may be approaching into view. I also attach springs to the box in such a manner that they will by pressing against flanges on the rollers prevent the rollers from being turned by reason of the jar or motion of the cars.

The following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification.

Figurel is a perspective view of the indicator; Fig. 2, a rear view of the same; Fig. 3, a cross-section.

Like letters refer to the same parts in each figure.

AA is the frame of the box, made of wood, of any suitable dimension, and consists of top, bottom, and two end pieces. The front of the box ff is of sheet metal, and has an opening b, through which (in the drawings) is seen the name of the station Richmond C C are rollers, the axes of which pass through the end pieces of the box. To one end of the axis of each roller is attached a small pulley g, by means of which the rollers are made to revolve. Near one end of each roller and within the box is a fiange d, forming a part of the roller, and on the top and bottom of the box directly above and below the flanges are springs e e, pressing against the flanges, thereby preventing the rollers from being turned by the jar or motion of the cars. The cloth on which the names of the stations are printed is wound around one roller, and has its inner end attached to that roller and the other end attached to the other roller, one roller being placed above the opening in the box and the other roller being placed below the opening. The cloth, being strained from the front of one roller to and over the front of the other roller, will form a curtain, thereby closing the opening in the box. Portions of the front of the box above and below the opening are bent inward, so as to press against the curtain, as shown in Fig. l, thereby preventing the dust from entering the box, and also more conspicuously exhibiting the name on the curtain. The back of the box is left open, as the ends of the car against which the indicator may be secured will close it.

All parts of the indicator, except the cloth band or curtain, may be used on any route. Each particular route will, however, require a particular curtain with the name of each station printed thereon in regular succession, commencing with the name of the station from which the train starts.

The operation of the indicator is as follows, to wit: The indicator having been securely fastened in its position in the car, the rollers are to be turned so as to bring the name of the next approaching station in view through the opening in front of the box,thus indicating to the passengers the name of the next station at which the train will stop. Upon reaching this station the brakeman or conductor is to turn the upper or lower roller, as l may be necessary, thereby winding the curtain from one roller to the other till the name of the next station appears in view, and so on to the end of the route, the same thing being repeated in reverse on the return trip.

It is designed to have an indicator at each end of each passenger-car.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the box, rollers, curtain, and springs, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

LEANDER ELLSWORTH SMITH.

Witnesses:

Louis H. BRISTOL, WM. B. BRISTOL. 

